Montana Youth Challenge Academy holding graduation

From Montana Youth Challenge Academy

DILLON – The commencement ceremony for class 44, Montana Youth Challenge Academy, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 12, at Vigilante Stadium. 79 cadets are scheduled to graduate during the outdoor ceremony.

Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen will be the guest speaker. Other distinguished guests will include Montana Adjutant General Major Gen. John “Pete” Hronek and University of Montana-Western Chancellor Michael Reid.

The Montana Youth Challenge Academy is a residential academic-intervention program on the campus of the University of Montana-Western for 16- to 18-year-old students who are at risk of high school dropout. Designed by the National Guard Bureau and run through a cooperative agreement between the federal government and the state of Montana, the Academy offers military-style structure and discipline along with academic, professional, and life-coping skills students need to become productive citizens. Following graduation from the residential phase, students continue to build on the gains made and apply the new skills they have learned to their home environment. Mentors, who have been matched with the cadets during the Residential Phase, play a critical role in ensuring their continued success.

Challenge conducts two class sessions per year. The upcoming summer/fall session begins July 20 and the winter/spring session is scheduled to begin Jan. 18, 2022.

For more information about the Challenge program to include mentoring, employment or enrollment opportunities, please contact 1-877-367-6927 or visit their website at http://www.mycacademy.org .